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ShakeOut!

On October 19, 2017, at 10:19 AM Bakersfield College participated in the Great California Shakeout to test the college's response to potential disasters.

At 10:19, classes stopped and our whole campus followed the procedure to (1) DROP, (2) COVER and (3) HOLD ON! After the two-minute drill, our buildings evacuated and each building was thoroughly checked.

ShakeOut organizers note that many Californians, such as the young or recent immigrants to the state, have not experienced a damaging earthquake. They also warned that while the San Andreas fault could generate a large-scale earthquake, up to magnitude-8, “there are over a hundred other active faults in the region that can produce smaller earthquakes.”

Drop, Cover and Hold ON!

Our campus responded quickly and effectively during this exercise. The Incident Command Center (ICC) immediately sprang into action received information from Building Marshalls, Runners, and Public Safety Personnel. Todd Coston, our Planning Chief reported all building clearings on a white board on one side of the room and Chief Counts cross checked these reports with our campus map. Each individual in the ICC has a specific role to support the Incident Commander, President Christian, with various responsibilities and key activities. By 10:43, we had all the information we needed to cut the alarms and give the “All Clear” signals.

Relaying Information

Bakersfield College takes the annual ShakeOut and all emergency drills very seriously to ensure our students, staff, and faculty are as safe as possible and to practice responding to disasters. We train regularly so we are ready in case of an emergency situation. Read more information about being prepared for an earthquake with the Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety for College Students